Marabas, Lord of Change
Deep within the oldest vaults of the Tricorn, ancient tomes can be found that chronicle the Inquisition’s first forays into what would eventually be known as the Calixis Sector. The records speak of watchful eyes that kept the Crusade pure of faith and purpose, and desperate battles against dire foes. Amongst those records, there is one book in particular that tells of the Inquisition’s battles against the dark being known as Marabas, Lord of Change. The book records that Marabas was a greater Daemon of Tzeentch, the Chaos god of plots, schemes, and mutation. For reasons unknown, Marabas schemed and fought against the Crusade, inspiring heathen worlds to resistance and pacified worlds to rebellion across the sector. Its cults and agents caused widespread death and destruction, and the Inquisition tracked and fought it on a dozen worlds. Marabas was eventually slain on Malfi, when the Daemonhunter Zaalin selflessly rammed the hive-spire it occupied with her gun-cutter. In the wake of the devastation, those surviving from Zaalin’s band invoked the rites of banishment, exiling Marabas to the warp for 1,000 years and a day. Over time, the Inquisition has forgotten its battles against the Daemon, and its attention has drifted to other concerns. The same cannot be said, however, for Marabas. During its centuries of exile, the Daemon has nursed a great grudge against those it sees responsible for its fate; the Calixian Conclave. Now, however, the time of its banishment is ended, and Marabas prepares to bathe the Calixis Sector in blood and fire once more. 'Schemes of Revenge' The minds and thoughts of Daemons are not to be understood by mortal men, but Marabas is consumed with a goal that most could comprehend; revenge. It desires vengeance, and since those who banished it are long dead, it will only be sated by tearing down the Calixian Conclave entirely. Though this may seem an impossible goal, Marabas approaches it with the care and malicious dedication of one who knows it has all eternity to see its dreams become reality. The children of Tzeentch are schemers and tricksters by nature, and Marabas moves forward with its goals by sowing the seeds of a thousand fragmented and seemingly contradictory plots and schemes. Only it can see the distant end result, and the collapse of its enemies. 'Playing Marabas' At its heart, Marabas is the quintessential criminal mastermind, an evil overlord whose malign influence can be seen behind any number of unrelated plots. It delights in manipulating its enemies, and using unwitting cats-paws and pawns to do its dirty work. Therefore, GMs should not introduce Marabas as the villain immediately. It works much better as a hidden nemesis, and it should be some time (and several adventures) before the players should suspect its existence. Marabas is a Daemon of Tzeentch, and thus prefers to work through cults and followers dedicated to that god. Organisations such as the Menagerie (see Disciples of the Dark Gods) are ideal. In addition, Marabas’s schemes are so convoluted and complex as to be almost incomprehensible, so it is perfectly reasonable for it to be the hidden ‘puppet master’ behind a plot that has nothing to do with its goal of destroying the Calixian Inquisition. As players defeat cults and other organisations, the GM should have them discover evidence of an unknown power that is manipulating them behind the scenes. Also, given Marabas’s hatred of the Inquisition, it gleefully sends its lackeys to attack the Throne Agents directly, rather than running and hiding. This behaviour, especially if from a cult the players might have otherwise disregarded, can also hint that something bigger is going on. Even when the players discover the presence of Marabas, they have to do a lot of digging to find out what exactly it is. If they are bold enough to decide to confront the Daemon directly, it is most fitting that the final confrontation take place in the oldest and most forgotten hive-sectors on Malfi (though it could happen anywhere). There they’ll find Marabas, summoned into existence by its most loyal cultists, and guarded by followers both human and daemonic.